The OnePlus Two is coming.
The OnePlus 2
The new model is the new flagship from Chinese manufacturer OnePlus, who launched its predecessor the OnePlus One last year.
The 5.5-inch OnePlus One was sold at £229 for 16GB of storage and £269 for 64GB respectively, and ran open source CyanogenMod software based on Google's Android. It featured a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.5GHz quad-core CPUs and 1080 HD display, 5MP front-facing and 13MP rear-facing cameras.
Potential buyers were required to obtain an invitation through OnePlus' website before they were able to buy it, with the first 100 handsets offered as part of a "Smash" promotion where people were invited to destroy their existing phone for a chance to buy a One for just $1. Even now, the site is the only point of purchase for the handset.
The OnePlus 2 was announced in January this year, and will also require an invitation to purchase.
What are its specs like?
In an act of uncharacteristic transparency for the smartphone market, OnePlus has confirmed numerous hardware specifications for the new handset. The OnePlus 2 will sport dual SIM capacity, a fingerprint sensor inbuilt into the home button, a USB Type-C charging port (the first flagship device to do so), and an octa-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor. It will also have 4GB of RAM. No pricing details have been announced yet, but it's a safe bet they'll be similar to the OnePlus One.
The OnePlus 2 USB Type-C cable
Revealing specs ahead of the launch?
Yeah. OnePlus says this is part of their 'interactive and direct' marketing strategy, as their marketing budget is extremely small and that releasing information is "more appreciated by our fans than making one big announcement".
How can I watch the launch event?
The launch event will be broadcast at 2am GMT on Tuesday July 28. OnePlus distributed a select number of custom Cardboard virtual reality headsets to fans to watch the event in real-time 3D VR. If you're among the lucky few to receive a headset, you can download the VR app on Google Play here, or if you're sans headset you can watch the event in the launch app anyway.
The OnePlus 2 launch event Cardboard headsets. Follow this link to the app in google play. Oneplus 2 launch app
How can I get an invitation?
Like its predecessor, the OnePlus 2 will initially be available only through invitation. You can acquire an invitation through participation in the company's various competitions advertised through its social media channels, or by receiving an invitation from an existing OnePlus 2 owner.
You can reserve an invitation by signing up to the reservation list here. At the time of writing, more than 270,000 people have already joined, and the company says it may take up to three weeks until the handset is ready to ship, meaning most will receive theirs around mid-August.
